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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Last week I found myself in a rather problematic situation - standing in front of my grocery cupboard with the incredibly difficult decision of what snack will best suit my rainy-day snuggling and Grey's Anatomy marathon... Just when I was about to give up and accept that my fluffy pink slippers would have to be swopped for boots (as a Lindt mission to the shop around the corner was obviously in order), I spotted a tin of condensed milk!

In our family, condensed milk is the god of all things sweet, sticky and yummy. If the pantry was stocked with any kind of chocolate, sweet or biscuit you could imagine, the condensed milk would be the first to go. Always. Whether enjoyed straight out the can, with a teaspoon, or boiled in the tin to a thick gooey caramel. Oh, but of course I'm forgetting fudge! One of the biggest debates in our family occurs when my mom whips out a tin of condensed milk after dinner and asks the same question which immediately jumped to mind while I was standing and eyeing that tin...

Tin versus treat? Condensed milk or fudge? Can against confection. Much um’ing and ah’ing occurred before I settled on a batch of fudge – not, of course, without cleaning out the tin with my finger afterwards!

Mom's Lazy Microwave Condensed Milk Fudge

(makes 36 pieces)

125g butter, melted

2 cups castor sugar

1 tin (385g) condensed milk

1t vanilla extract

Combine butter and castor sugar in a large microwave safe bowl. Add condensed milk – do not stir. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes (stirring after 1 minute each time) or until a deep caramel golden brown. To test the fudge, smear a little of the mixture onto a plate or cold surface. If it sets, it's done. Allow to cool slightly and beat with a wooden spoon until the fudge starts to set. Pour into a 20cm square tin lined with baking paper and allow to set before cutting into squares.